Golden Beginnings
by shielddrake42
Summary: Silver has always been determined to fight and defeat Iblis, and has always been good friends with Blaze, but how did all it start in the first place? Here’s the answer. Requested by Ottselette. Contains hints of childhood Silvaze.


Disclaimer: Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat are not copyrighted to me…sadly as always, and I am not using them for any f

Disclaimer: Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat are _not _copyrighted to me…sadly as always, and I am not using them for any form of profit. Aria and Polo are my own creations, but that's it.

A/N: This is the response to the request made by Ottselette. She asked for basically the following. One, a story of Silver's early childhood; two, include Blaze in it (which was a given in my book anyway); and three, include Polo in it somehow (what, is Polo becoming popular now or something?) Very open in terms of requirements overall. I know, it's sappy and predicable, but I hope you all like it just the same. Enjoy!

As always, _thoughts are italics_ and _**flashbacks are bold and italics together**_.

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A roar broke out in the ruins of Crisis City. Iblis had reappeared again, as it always did, to cause more terror. This beast of rock and fire was an immortal force, always resurfacing not long after a defeat. When dealing with a creature such as this, there are really only two options: fight or flee.

Aria sprung awake when she heard the roar. Leaving her precious bundle covered in blankets on the ground, she rushed to a window of the building she had chosen as a place to sleep. She ran a hand through her long quills in unease, the tips curling and pointing up a bit. Aria took one glance out the window at Iblis before returning to her makeshift bed and grabbing the bundle.

The white hedgehog knew it was time to flee.

Holding the bundle to her chest, Aria sprinted to safety, ducking behind buildings and rubble whenever Iblis looked in her direction. She had to be very careful; against the brown of the buildings and the red of the lava, a white hedgehog would have been easy to spot.

In her arms, Silver, age five, had woken up due to the jostling of movement. One look at his mother's serious face, however, told him that now was the time for silence. It wasn't until Iblis' roars had stopped and Aria let out a sigh of relief that he knew it was safe to speak.

"Mother?"

"Yes, love?" Aria replied in a wispy voice, looking down in adoration at the little hedgehog that clung to her chest.

"Are we going to go see Mr. Polo now?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered with a hum as she stood again and began walking. "Very soon."

"I'm…" Silver said hesitatingly, knowing what life was like for his mother and that whining was not going to help. But the rumble of his stomach was too hard for him to ignore. "…hungry."

Aria felt a similar feeling in her own belly and looked sadly down at her son. "I know, love."

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The two of them arrived at Polo's residence about an hour later. It was one of the more stable buildings left in the city, and had a large sign on it that said "Soleanna Bank." Aria didn't know exactly what a Soleanna or a Bank was, but it was one of the few structures still in relatively good condition, and Polo had a fondness for it. Staying in one place for an extended period increased the chances of Iblis finding you though (a fact that Aria reminded Polo of on a regular basis), and this had contributed to Polo's recent leg injury.

Aria knocked softly on the bottom half of what remained of a door, and upon Polo's permission entered. She spotted the anteater sitting next to bags of food, which he always gave away to those who asked for them, as was his job as a food distributor. The pile was a little smaller today, indicating that he was low on supplies. At Aria's look he scoffed.

"I'm getting another shipment in a few days," he said from his spot against the wall. Aria placed Silver on the ground, who walked up to the older male.

"How is your leg, Mr. Polo," he asked, gesturing to the right leg that had broken and healed facing inward rather than forward.

"Better, lad. I can walk for short periods now. But here, this if what you're after," Polo responded, taking one of the bags of food and handing it to Silver. "Now go mind the window. Let me speak with your mother."

"Thank you, Mr. Polo," Silver said, doing as he was commanded and nibbling on some of the dark brown fruit.

When her son was out of hearing range Aria sat down next to her old friend and sighed.

"He's a good kid," said Polo.

"But he doesn't speak up," Aria reported. "He was afraid to tell me he was hungry today."

"He doesn't want to make life harder for you than he thinks it needs to be," the anteater replied, understanding the thoughts of a little boy.

"Kind of like you, with your leg," the female prodded him in the shoulder. "I still don't understand why you wouldn't try to let me fix it right."

"It's better this way," Polo argued. "We all have to take care of ourselves."

"Uh-huh," she huffed, closing her eyes momentarily. "Harder life indeed."

There was an uneasy moment of silence before Polo spoke again.

"Aria, why don't you go looking for him?" he inquired. He received no response. "The boy is five years old."

"I know," she finally said after a minute. "He said he wanted nothing to do with Silver."

"What kind of a man abandons his mate and kid?" Polo wondered out loud.

"A man very different than you," Aria complemented, silently thanking the other for all the times he had been there for her and her son, including the incident that irreparably damaged his leg.

"What'll Silver do if something happens to you, 'Ria?" asked Polo. "Without his dad, he'd be on his own."

"You just said we have to take care of ourselves," Aria reminded, opening one eye at him. "Why is this any different?"

"What would he do?" the anteater repeated, ignoring her question.

Aria chuckled as she stood and smoothed her fur.

"If something does happen, I'll watch over him from heaven," she replied without any sorrow present in her voice. She turned to where Silver was sitting, watching the clouds. "Silver! Time to go!"

The young hedgehog scampered up to his mother, carrying the half-empty food bag.

"I saved some for you, Mother," he said, giving her the bag with a smile. She returned it.

"Thank you, love."

"Aria," Polo called from the ground. The female spun and saw him handing her another food bag. "Take it."

"But the rations—" she began.

"Harder life, remember?" Polo interrupted. "I'm getting another shipment soon anyway, I told you."

"Thank you, Polo."

"Thank you, Mr. Polo."

"You be a good lad for your mother now."

Silver gave the anteater a toothy grin before following his mother out of the building. Polo watched as mother and son walked away, praying for their safety as he always did.

"Aria," he said to himself. "In this hell, how can there be a heaven?"

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The following day, Aria sat inside what was once a large skyscraper as she swallowed the filth that acted as food in Crisis City. She threw one rind away and coughed. Disgusting. She had eaten this food her whole life and she still couldn't get over the horrible smell and taste of it. Aria didn't blame the producers or distributors (like Polo), but she still hated the stuff.

"Mother! Look, look!" Silver cried, running to Aria as fast as his little legs could carry him. Once he reached her he pointed to his chest. "I'm getting long fur!"

True enough, there were a few specks of white fur showing, longer and somewhat lighter in color than the rest of him. They spread up his chest, over his shoulders, and a little down his back. Aria chuckled at his excitement.

"Yes, love, you're getting a mane," she said, picking the boy up and placing him in her lap. She ruffled his short quills. "You're growing up to look just like your father."

"Father?" Silver asked in confusion. "What's a father?"

"A father is—" Aria began, but was quickly interrupted by a very familiar howl. It sounded much closer than last time. "Iblis!"

She grabbed Silver and dashed to the building entrance, leaving the fruit behind. Aria jumped to the ground and ran, glancing over her shoulder at the lava monstrosity. Iblis turned and its beady eyes met Aria's blue ones. She gasped; it saw her.

Aria turned to her left to another structure and rushed inside. Looking around, she spotted a few fallen beams that formed a small pocket against the wall…just big enough for her son. She ran to it and gently pushed Silver into it as Iblis roared again.

"Mother?!" he exclaimed, scared by her own frightened expression. "What—"

"Silver, whatever happens, stay here and don't make a sound," Aria cut him off, her tone commanding no argument. Silver paused but nodded, frowning. Aria gave him a sad smile and kissed him on the forehead. "Good boy. I love you, Silver."

With a final glance at her son, Aria ran out of the decrepit building and faced Iblis again. It saw her in an instant. She turned and ran off, in the opposite direction of where her son was hidden.

_I need to throw him off Silver's trail_, Aria thought as she forced her legs to carry her faster.

Meanwhile, Silver had curled into a fetal position, trying to make himself as small as possible. He covered his ears with his hands to block out all the sounds from outside. He could feel the ground shake as Iblis moved and pounded on the city. There was a roar, a scream, a crash, and then silence.

And sudden silence after that much noise is terrifying.

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Silver waited a little while before gathering his courage and venturing out of his hiding spot. He crept out of the building, being careful to keep out of sight as much as he could. Iblis was nowhere to be seen. Had it been defeated again? Or did it just leave of its own accord? Silver knew better than to call out for his mother. Making that sort of commotion was bound to attract Iblis back, and that was the last thing he wanted.

After a few minutes of searching, Silver spotted something white. With a grin he ran towards it; when he reached it though, the smile immediately fell from his face. It was his mother all right, but something was wrong. There was some red liquid coming out of her head and abdomen. When he touched it, it was hot and a little sticky. Silver placed his head to her chest, and found that the heartbeat he loved so much was no longer there.

A shadow spread over Aria's form, and Silver looked up to see Polo staring down at him. The anteater silently lifted the child and carried him to a spot away from his mother. Polo then returned to see to the body. Silver hadn't made a sound.

He stared down at the blood on his hand. He may have been a child, but Silver knew what all the signs meant. His mother was dead. She would never smile at him again, never hold him again, and never sing him to sleep again. He wanted to see her eyes, hear her voice, if only for one last time.

Polo returned from doing the hardest task he ever thought he'd do, and not just because his leg was still giving him trouble. He limped back to where Silver sat; the young hedgehog hadn't noticed. Silver just sat staring at his hand. Polo turned his back on the boy, intending to leave him there. Everyone had to take care of themselves after all. It was the way of things.

"_**What kind of a man abandons his mate and kid?" Polo wondered out loud.**_

"_**A man very different than you," Aria complemented.**_

_That's right_, Polo thought. _Not like me at all_.

A small sniffle solidified his decision. He turned around again and limped over to where Silver sat. The hedgehog silently looked up at him, his golden eyes a little red.

"Can you walk, lad?" Polo asked him. Silver nodded numbly. "Follow me then. I'll take you home."

Polo slowly rose to his feet; Silver paused before doing the same. Together they headed to Polo's hideout, the elder hobbling carefully along and the younger mutely following.

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Upon arrival at the former "Soleanna Bank" Polo made a second bed out of spare rags he had lying around. He was a little concerned about Silver, as the child had been quiet the whole time. He had only reacted when Polo had wiped the blood from Silver's hand, and even then he only whimpered. This didn't mean the boy hadn't cried, only that with his tears came silence.

"Silver?"

"…My face is wet, Mr. Polo," the boy whispered, finally speaking but with unfocused eyes staring into the wall.

"You're crying."

"Crying?"

"It's something you do when you're really sad," explained Polo as he wiped Silver's eyes dry. "It's normal."

Polo picked him up and placed him on the new bed. Silver sat down and looked up at the anteater.

"Mr. Polo?" he inquired, his voice still very quiet. "What's a father?"

Polo hesitated before speaking. "Something you don't have, but something you will never need. Go to sleep now, lad."

Silver attempted to do so while Polo silently cursed everything. Silver, for being too sweet a child to ignore. Aria, for not being careful enough. …_Him_, for leaving Aria to care for Silver by herself. And of course Iblis, for causing all this to begin with. Polo had to be careful that Silver didn't see his own tears.

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It was over a week before Silver felt like going outside again, and it was really more Polo's insistence than his willingness to leave.

Silver was numb at first. He didn't know what to think or do, so he merely wandered aimlessly around the city, despite the warning from Polo to be cautious. Silver wasn't sure, but he probably thought that if Iblis found him it would be a blessing, because he might seen his mother again. He felt hollow, empty…nothing. Perhaps it was the shock of it all.

Then he felt sad. Polo said it was okay to cry when this sort of sorrow hit. Silver actually suspected that the older man had shed a few tears of his own. But he had cried so much the past couple of days that he believed he would never weep again. Silver never cried before, let alone that much. He had had no reason to; aside from the difficulties with Iblis his life was all right. It was natural five-year-old logic that as long as his mother was by his side, everything was okay.

And then something else came: anger. Silver's hands clenched into fists. How could his mother just leave him like that?! Why didn't she keep him with her?! He could have done something! Anything! Silver looked down at his hands. He had seen others fight against Iblis using special abilities, but it seemed that he possessed nothing of that sort. If only he had some means to defend against that monster, but he was useless—

Silver was snapped out of his musings by a scream. It was higher and obviously younger, but to him it sounded so much like his mother that he instantly took off in the direction it originated from.

What he came upon was two beings fighting. One of them he knew was one of Iblis' spawns. It took the form of a giant lizard, made of molten lava just like Iblis. Its long tail curved upward in a battle stance, and it was spewing fire from its mouth.

The second being was a purple cat, probably not much older than Silver himself. The long hair on her head was tied back in a high pony-tail, and she wore a long sleeved sort of half-dress. It was while looking at her that Silver realized that she was shooting her own waves of fire at the lizard. They were smaller, but fire all the same. Silver's first reaction was that this girl must have been cursed by Iblis. Pyrokinesis was practically unheard of in Crisis City, except for Iblis itself and its spawn. Maybe she was in league with them…but that didn't make sense. If she were, why would she be fighting _against_ the demon lizard?

Another cry from the cat surprised Silver into action. He would learn who she was later. At that moment, the creature lunged.

Blaze the Cat was shocked when a white hedgehog appeared seemingly from nowhere and quickly shoved into her, pushing them both out of the path of the fire lizard's attack. It skid to a halt, turned, and leapt to attack them again. The hedgehog watched in amazement as Blaze blasted another fireball at the monster, only for it to be caught in the lizard's jaws. It spat the fireball back at Blaze, who threw herself to the ground to avoid it.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Silver. As the purple cat fell to the ground, he jumped up and into the line of fire. He held up his hands, hoping to block he attack from hitting the girl whose name he didn't even know. Silver closed his eyes and cringed…

…Nothing came. Silver slowly opened his eyes and stared. The fireball was floating in mid-air, surrounded by a sort of blue glow. Looking at his hands, he noticed they had the same blue aura around them. All three (Silver, Blaze, and the fire lizard) were stunned for a moment. As if by instinct, Silver pushed against the fireball, firing it back against the fireball. The creature was too astonished to react properly, and it was blown back into a wall and into unconsciousness.

Silver stared down at his hands, which had ceased glowing. How did he manage to do that? What in the world…?

Blaze stood up and grabbed the hedgehog's hand. He looked at her with a slightly dazed expression.

"Let's get out of here," she suggested, pulling on him urgently. "Before it wakes up."

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"That was amazing!" cried Blaze once she and the hedgehog were hidden in a safe place: a building surrounded by a semi-circle of ruins. "How did you stop the attack like that?"

"I don't know," the boy admitted, glancing at his hands again. "I've never done it before."

"Try picking this up," Blaze said, tossing a rock in front of him.

He looked at it, wondering how exactly he was supposed to move it without touching it. It just seemed like intuition or instinct before, where he just wanted to block the fireball with all his might. If it was the same here, then all he would have to do was visualize the rock moving, being lifted…and in no time at all the rock was raised to Silver's eye level. While Silver was busy being proud of himself, the cat shot a stream of fire at the rock, causing it to explode. Silver jumped back and lost his concentration, dropping the remains of the stone. His leap was a mistake, as he lost his footing and fell backwards, right into a puddle of muck. It sprayed everywhere as he landed, including on the new mane hairs he was so pleased about.

"Oh great," the now brown hedgehog whined. "Right in the mud…"

Laughter brought his gaze back up to the cat, who was now smiling softly. She held her hand up to her mouth and continued to giggle as Silver stood and tried to clean the mud out of his fur. Irritated at being laughed at, Silver scooped up a handful and chucked it at the girl, hitting her right in the forehead. Taken aback, she returned the attack with her own ball of mud. Silver managed to dodge, but this meant only one thing:

Mud fight!

Before long the two children were exhausted, as well as absolutely filthy. They didn't notice this of course, because they were laughing too hard. It was the best Silver had felt in days! Once the pair ran out of energy (and mud) they sat down in the building across from each other.

"How'd you learn to make fire like that?" Silver finally asked, still gasping for breath.

Blaze looked at the young hedgehog. Her previous happiness evaporated and the atmosphere between them instantaneously turned somber. How could she tell him? He just sat there, with that annoyingly naïve look on his face, waiting for her to answer. Maybe he wouldn't be like the others? Blaze had been alone for so long, and abandoned by so many. Could she take yet another rejection? Her gaze fell to the ground and her voice to a low whisper.

"Iblis…when it killed my parents…" she explained, trying as hard as she could to keep her voice from breaking. She kept her head down, fearing the revulsion that she had seen on others' faces and would almost certainly appear on the hedgehog's. "…it cursed me…with the flames…"

The ground must have been really interesting, because she didn't notice that Silver had sat himself down next to her until he placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking up at last, Blaze saw that the boy's eyes were a little misty.

"Iblis got my mother, too."

At his admission, Blaze put her own hand on his shoulder and squeezed. They sat there for a while, understanding comforting their sorrow.

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Polo moaned in frustration as he tried to organize the food bags in his hideout. The producers had finally sent him a shipment of the putrid food that was the norm in Crisis City, but the bags seemed heavier than they normally did, and his leg was giving him trouble again.

The anteater paused in his actions when Silver entered the hideout, followed by a young female cat. Both were completely dirty but also smiling. Polo put down a few of the bags and looked back and forth between the two.

"Two questions. One, who's you're friend, Silver?" he asked, slightly worried and slightly joking. "And two, why are you covered in mud?"

Silver gave Polo an abridged version of the day's events, even giving a demonstration of his new powers and with Blaze jumping in every so often to add her own thoughts. Silver eventually came to the end and his tone started to sound like a plea.

"…And Blaze said she didn't have anyone to stay with, so…" he trailed off at the end.

"So?"

"I was wondering," Silver continued, his gold eyes begging. "If she could stay with us?"

"Please?" added Blaze, her voice pleading as well.

"Wha—Oh no! Bad idea! Having two people together is bad enough, but three! Too many! Abso…lutely…" Polo's protests slowly stopped as he looked at the beseeching eyes of the children before him. They may have been a different color, but Silver's eyes always reminded him of Aria's, and Polo had no resistance to that look. He sighed. "All right, Blaze can stay. But we'll need to be extra careful about Iblis!"

The hedgehog and cat ran up to him, each giving one of his legs a big hug. Blaze was a little gentler because she didn't want to hurt his clearly damaged leg further, but Silver had no qualm about gripping him with all his might.

"Okay, okay. Now go make another bed," Polo ordered, returning his attention to his shipment. "And help me with these bags. It's bedtime soon."

The duo wasted no time doing exactly that. After dealing with the food they set up another bed made of extra food sacks, next to Silver's. Looking at it, it may have appeared like a single bed. The new friends snuggled up together, holding hands as they went to sleep. Polo watched over them, smiling slightly at the sight that reminded him so much of his own childhood with Aria.

_You leave, and a week later he makes a new friend_, Polo mused to himself. He looked up towards the sky. _Aria, are you watching over them from heaven?_

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